When I finally went to my doctor about it, he barely looked up from her notes.

"Drink more water. Try magnesium."

That was it.

I tried magnesium glycinate. Nothing.

I tried iron supplements because I'd read online that low iron could trigger Restless Legs. My levels went up a little, but my legs were still going insane every night.

I bought compression socks. Helped for maybe a week, then stopped working.

I got a weighted blanket. Same story, worked once or twice, then my legs laughed at it.

I tried red vine leaf extract tablets, hydration tricks, stretching routine and hot baths at midnight. Some gave me 20 minutes of relief. None of it lasted.

Eventually, my doctor prescribed Mirapex.

It worked. For about three months, my legs were calm. I slept. I felt human again.

Then the side effects kicked in. Nausea every morning, weird impulse control issues, and this creeping fear I'd read about online called "augmentation," where the medication eventually makes Restless Legs worse and starts earlier in the day.

I stopped taking it. My legs came roaring back, angrier than ever.

I tried Gabapentin next. It made me so groggy the next day I could barely drive safely to work.

I was trapped.

Every night, I'd dread going to bed. I'd lie there thinking, "Is tonight going to be a 4-hour night? A 2-hour night? Or am I just going to pace until sunrise?"

My husband sleeps like a rock. He didn't understand. He'd wake up refreshed, and I'd be sitting at the kitchen table like a zombie, staring into space.

I felt so alone.